Soup's other season: Chilling out with super bowls

Susan Semenak, The Gazette08.22.2011

Spicy Cucumber and Tomato Soup.Pierre Obendrauf
/ The Gazette

Summer is the other season for soups: Shown here in a selection of chilled, smooth soups are. from top, Cold Cantaloupe and Orange Flower Soup, Green Gazpacho and Spicy Cucumber and Tomato Soup.Pierre Obendrauf
/ The Gazette

MONTREAL - A bowl of soup conjures impressions of warmth and comfort. But in summer, it’s something else altogether.

Cold soups are easy and simple. They are like summer theatre for the fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs just in from the garden or the market. Spiced just right, they make the ingredients shine.

These soups can be disappointing, though, if the ingredients aren’t at their freshest or if the flavourings aren’t just right. Make sure to use really fresh and perfectly ripe fruits or vegetables and the best-quality stocks, vinegars and oils. Tasting and then tasting again after chilling is key to getting the balance just right. Flavours tend to recede when chilled, so another grinding of fresh pepper or drop of lemon juice at the last minute might make the difference between a mediocre soup and one that makes you say “wow.”

“You have to play with cold soups,” explains Yanik Karch, chef at Crudessence, a raw-food restaurant on Mackay St. that serves a different cold soup every day. “You have to play with flavours, and with textures, too.

The other day he had a carrot and apple soup on the menu that also contained orange juice. He likes unexpected combinations like tomato, chipotle pepper, orange and red pepper; or cucumber and mint; or spinach and apple. He’ll add tamari instead of salt for extra depth of flavour.

For soups with bold, deep colours, leave the vegetables and fruits unpeeled when feasible. For example, leave cucumbers unpeeled; carrots, too, and apples. Just make sure to wash them well in advance, and when you can, use organic.

The other important consideration is getting the texture right. When puréed, many vegetables become watery.

To give his soups more body, Karch often adds avocado or a handful of nuts.

He says the key to a truly delicious cold soup is to marry sweet and sour. He’ll use citrus juices or cider vinegars for the sour note and sugar, agave syrup or honey, along with fruit, for sweetness.

You won’t need much equipment to create most cold soups, except for a blender and a sieve for straining out the rough textures. Most of them just need a whir in the blender. Others require a quick simmer of the ingredients, but they are always made in advance and refrigerated until the last minute, which makes them great fare for entertaining.

When we think cold soup, usually it’s tomato-based gazpacho, from the south of Spain, that comes to mind. Or maybe vichyssoise, the French potato and leek soup that is often served chilled. Borscht, the eastern European beet soup, also has a cool side, served with a dollop of sour cream. But the possibilities are endless. How about strawberries and balsamic vinegar with chives, mango and mint, avocado and lime?

Here are a few interesting suggestions. And don’t be afraid to play with the flavours.

Green Gazpacho

Serves 4 to 6

This soup is inspired by a bright green gazpacho I had not long ago at Le Quartier Général, a popular restaurant on Gilford St. in the Plateau. It’s the perfect soup for too-hot-to-cook days – sweet and sour at the same time, with a little chili heat. Unlike its Andalusian cousin, this gazpacho is smooth, not chunky, and without tomatoes. A blender makes quick work of the puréeing.

4 medium cucumbers

1 green pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

3 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

3 teaspoons (15 mL) rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt

1 small jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

10 to 12 fresh mint leaves

2½ cups (625 mL) vegetable broth

Plain yogourt, for garnish

Peel cucumbers. After cutting a few slices for garnish, cut cucumbers in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds with a spoon.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except yogourt and reserved cucumber slices. Working in batches, purée in a blender until perfectly smooth.

Transfer soup to a pitcher and stir well. If gazpacho is too thick, add extra vegetable broth. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve in bowls or glass cups, garnished with a spoonful of yogourt and cucumber slices.

Spicy Cucumber and Tomato Soup

Serves 4

This is a delicious and beautiful cold dish from Montreal soup diva Caroline Dumas, included in her book Soupesoup (Flammarion Québec).

1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups (500 mL) diced tomatoes

1 cucumber, cut up

1 cup (250 mL) basil leaves

½ cup (125 mL) mint leaves

1 cup (250 mL) flat-leaf parsley

Juice of 1 lemon

½ medium hot pepper

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and tomato and cook 10 minutes, until tomatoes are tender and saucy. Let cool slightly, then coarsely purée all ingredients in a blender. Adjust seasoning. Cool 2 hours and serve cold.

Cold Cantaloupe and Orange Flower Soup

Serves 4 to 6

This is a real winner – a smooth, sweet soup with a bright orange colour, its flavour enlivened by curry powder and orange flower water. It, too, is from Caroline Dumas’s Soupesoup. She garnishes the soup with grilled sliced almonds. It’s also nice with a dollop of yogourt.

Orange flower water is available at Middle Eastern grocery stores, or the imported-food aisle at the supermarket. But even without it, the soup is lovely.

2 tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil

1 tablespoon (15 mL) curry powder

½ red pepper, sliced

¾ cup (175 mL) finely chopped red onion

4 cups (1 L) boiling water

1 teaspoon (5 mL) orange flower water

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) sweet potato, peeled and cut up

Crushed chili peppers

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup (250 mL) cantaloupe, peeled and diced

½ cup (125 mL) fresh coriander, chopped

½ cup (125 mL) fresh basil, finely chopped

Sliced almonds, grilled, for garnish

Plain yogourt, for garnish

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add curry powder, red pepper and onion and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender.

Add boiling water, orange flower water and sweet potato. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until sweet potato is tender.

Let cool slightly and purée until smooth in a blender. Season to taste with crushed chili peppers, salt and pepper. Add diced cantaloupe and purée again briefly for a smooth soup.

Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve cold, garnished with fresh herbs, grilled almonds and a dollop of yogourt, if desired.